The field of the disclosure relates generally to permanent split capacitor (PSC) motors, and more specifically, PSC motors with multiple speed and voltage configurations.
PSC motors are induction-based motors that include a plurality of windings and a capacitor for inducing a phase shift between windings, thereby increasing torque of a rotor. PSC motors are used in various systems, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. For example, a PSC motor may be used to drive a blower in an exemplary HVAC system.
However, at least some PSC motors have limited operating flexibility. That is, at least some PSC motors are limited to a single operating voltage and/or motor speed to prevent imbalanced performance and to limit the complexity of the motor. For example, some PSC motors are limited to a single motor speed because adding additional motor speeds to the motors may have reduced performance, particularly at lower speed settings, relative to the first motor speed.
Due to the limited operating flexibility, multiple configurations of a PSC motor for different operating voltages and/or motor speeds are manufactured. To prevent limited inventory of high-demand configurations and excessive inventory of low-demand configurations, the manufacturer monitors sales and stock levels and manufactures particular configurations based on the observations, which may increase manufacturing costs, increase inventory of low-demand configurations, and otherwise overcomplicate the manufacturing of the PSC motors.
Moreover, during installation of the motor, a technician determines the requirements of the system into which the motor is to be installed and selects a motor configuration that meets the requirements. If the technician does not have the correct motor configuration in the field, the technician may be required to travel to pick up the motor or order a new motor, which increases the time and cost of the installation.